Drug Crime Lawyer | Morales Law Firm

Are You Being Charged with a Drug Crime?

Christopher Morales is a California board-certified criminal law specialist who has successfully defended clients facing charges for drug-related crimes in both state and federal court.

Mr. Morales defends clients against drug charges involving the sale, possession or manufacturing of marijuana, cocaine, LSD, ectasy, heroin, crack and methamphetamines, as well as certain controlled prescription pharmaceuticals such as morphine, codeine, methadone, and others.

Alternative Sentencing Under California’s Proposition 36 and the Federal First Offense Act (FFOA)

Under California’s Proposition 36 and FFOA, those facing simple drug possession charges may be able to undergo treatment rather than face jail if it is their first offense. Mr. Morales can advise clients whether alternative sentencing under Prop 36 or FFOA is an option for them.

Mr. Morales has extensive experience defending clients facing serious charges for drug crimes. While the skill, experience and knowledge of your attorney can never guarantee a specific outcome, it is a strong indicator of whether or not he or she can beat the case. Mr. Morales is one of only a small group of attorneys in the state of California who are board-certified criminal law specialists.

Mr. Morales aggressively defends clients accused of all drug-related charges including:

Possession/Possession for Sale
Manufacturing
Sale
Distribution
Trafficking and,
Cultivation.

Mr. Morales is deeply committed to helping his clients attain the best possible results. His highest priority is always getting the charges against his client completely dismissed. If that isn’t possible, he will fight to have the charges reduced.

If you or your loved one are facing charges for a drug-related crime, contact Mr. Morales for a free and confidential consultation.

Do you need help with the criminal charges against you? Call us now at (415) 552-1215 for a free, no obligation consultation; or fill in your information in the contact form to the right.

Common Defenses for Drug Possession

Getting charged with drug possession is a serious matter. However, a San Francisco drug crime attorney can help you determine a strong defense that applies to your case. Here are some common defenses for drug possession.

Unlawful Search and Seizure: If drugs were searched for illegally, your charges will likely be dismissed. For example, if a police officer pulled you over for a traffic violation and opened up the trunk of your vehicle without permission and found drugs, it can’t be used as evidence.
Entrapment: Entrapment is something that happens when a police officer encourages a person to commit a crime he or she would not have committed otherwise. For instance, if an officer pressured someone to give drugs to someone else at a party, entrapment has occurred.
Drugs Did not Belong to Me: If the drugs that were found do not belong to you, a San Francisco drug crime attorney can use that as your defense. For instance, if a police officer pulled you over and found drugs in your car that belonged to your friend, you may say that you did not know the drugs were there.
Drugs Were Planted: Unfortunately, there have been cases where police officers have planted drugs on people and then arrested them. If you believe this happened to you, your San Francisco drug crime attorney can request a complaint file of the officer and interview the people who have submitted complaints against him or her for planting drugs. However, understand that this defense can be difficult to prove because a police officer’s testimony has a lot of weight.
Faulty Lab Analysis: When drugs are tested at a lab, all of the equipment must be full functioning. If there are equipment breaks, you may be able to challenge the accuracy of the tests.

Questions to Ask a Drug Crime Lawyer

If you were charged with drug possession, you should schedule a consultation with a qualified San Francisco drug crime attorney as soon as possible. Here are several questions you should ask during the meeting.

What legal strategies will you use to defend my case?
How many years of experience do you have defending drug crimes?
Can you reduce my charges?
What are the strengths and weaknesses in my case?
How often will you reach out to me about updates about my case?
What is your fee structure?

During the consultation, a San Francisco drug crime attorney will also ask you many questions, such as when and where you were charged with drug possession and whether or not you have a previous criminal record. It’s important to answer each question honestly and with as many details as possible. The more information your lawyer has about your case, the better he or she can help you.

Client Review

“Chris followed my case through to the end. He was always professional and responded quickly and thoroughly to all of my questions and concerns.”
Mamie Fitzgerald